Season Preview – 23. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers enter the 2024-25 season with tempered expectations. A team in transition, they are focused on building for the future while remaining competitive in the present. After a few years of inconsistency, the Flyers have infused young talent into their lineup and have a solid plan for the coming years. However, with a roster still developing and some lingering question marks, the Flyers are likely to miss the playoffs and finish 23rd in the league.

Season Expectations

The Flyers will be focused on player development and creating a foundation for future success this season. Veterans like Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny will provide leadership, but the spotlight will be on the young players expected to take the next step.

Key names like Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Morgan Frost, Jamie Drysdale, and Cam York will be central to the team’s success. Michkov, the highly touted Russian winger, will be given time to adjust to the NHL game but is expected to show glimpses of his elite potential. Foerster, with his powerful shot, will be relied on to provide secondary scoring, along with Frost’s playmaking abilities. Drysdale and York will anchor the blue line, bringing offensive flair and stability to the defense.

John Tortorella’s disciplined, system-driven approach will have the Flyers playing hard every night. They will be a difficult team to face, especially with their aggressive forecheck and defensive structure. However, the Flyers limitations in skill depth, and the learning curve for their young players, suggest this will be another year of development rather than contention.

Projected Lines

The Flyers enter the season with a mix of seasoned veterans and promising young talent. Head coach John Tortorella will continue to emphasize structure and discipline, ensuring the team remains competitive in each game. While the team is expected to finish outside the playoff picture, this year is crucial for developing key players who will shape the future of the franchise. With Matvei Michkov set to make his NHL debut and other rising stars like Tyson Foerster, Cam York, and Jamie Drysdale taking on larger roles, the Flyers are laying the groundwork for a bright future.

To clarify, these line projections are meant to only predict the start of the season. With so many potential combinations possible, its almost certain that there are tweaks and additions of new faces by the end of the year. Expect the season to start as such:

Tyson Foerster – Sean Couturier – Travis Konecny
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Matvei Michkov
Joel Farabee – Scott Laughton – Bobby Brink
Noah Cates – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Egor Zamula – Rasmus Ristolainen

Samuel Ersson
Ivan Fedotov

Scratches: Nicolas Deslauriers, Erik Johnson

Line 1
This line makes the most sense for the Flyers after showing their effectiveness last season. This line accumulated 229.1 minutes together and produced a net 0.97 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes. Foerster proved to be effective in his first full NHL season, scoring 20 goals, and will be looking to add to that total. Courturier looked off, but that is to be expected after missing a full season prior from injury. After having an entire offseason to prepare and return fully healthy, Couturier should return to the effectiveness he maintained before his injury. Konecny is entering the season after signing an eight-year, $70.0 million extension that kicks in next season. His growth has been outstanding in the last few seasons and he keeps getting better in all facets of the game, and should continue on an upwards trajectory this season.

Line 2
This should be the most exciting and dynamic line for the Flyers this year. Frost and Tippett have shown they have chemistry regardless who else is on a line with them. Adding Michkov to their known success just spells out goals for this line. Tippett’s speed is uncanny and he showed last season he also has a finishers touch, which earned him a lucrative eight-year, $49.6 million deal that starts this season. Frost also showed he can play a two-way game while still highlighting his impressive playmaking IQ. Matching these two with one of the most exciting prospects in Michkov should bode well for the Flyers, along with Michkov’s development and transition into the NHL.

Line 3
This line had limited playing time last year, only playing a total of 85.2 minutes together. However, with the top-six lines looking to be the most efficient solutions, this line will almost certainly have a prolonged look together. Their advanced metrics were not very favourable though, having produced a net -1.26 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes, yet we can attribute this to the lack of playing time together and the inability to form chemistry during it. Farabee provides speed and offensive two-way play that can be slotted throughout the entire lineup. Laughton has proven he is a solid penalty kill specialist and can be an anchor in a bottom-six center role. Brink brings a different type of game, where he can finish and add to the rush, but he will need to work on his two-way play for this line to have complete effectiveness for HC Tortorella.

Line 4
This can be one of the most functional fourth lines in the NHL. Last season, they played a total of 160.1 minutes together while producing a net 1.76 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes, which is extremely impressive for any bottom-six line. While numbers never tell the entire story, we can be sure this line will try to build off the momentum from last season and be a wild card for HC Tortorella to inject energy or a solid forecheck at any point during games. Cates has shown he can be responsible on both ends of the ice, while showing potential to play higher up in the lines when a change is needed. Poehling is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL and it will be used as a weapon against opposing bottom-six matchups and as a penalty kill tool. Hathaway provides a rough and tough nature that rubs off on his teammates and he will always compete for a loose puck.

Pair 1
This pairing was together for the most amount of minutes last season for any of the Flyers defensive pairings. While their metrics could be better, putting York into a more responsible role showcased his potential for the future. In total, this pair played 1052.3 minutes and produced a mediocre net -0.14 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes, yet HC Tortorella utilized this pairing the most because it proved effective overall. Look for York to build off his game and take strides froward, while Sanheim continues to be a reliable two-way defender that knows how to use his size effectively.

Pair 2
Once again we have some evidence of this pairing being effective from last year. They played a limited time together with only 102.9 minutes as a pair, yet they still managed to produce a net 0.53 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes, which is solid for any second pairing in the league. Drysdale dealt with some injuries last season that restricted his playing time, so staying healthy is a must in order to find his ‘rover’ status that HC Tortorella eluded to last season. Seeler has proven he is not only an NHL player, but an essential shutdown piece to this Flyers defensive core. Both will look to continue to add to their newly found reputations and be relied on for key matchups throughout the season.

Pair 3
This pair was the third most played pair from the Flyers last season. Playing a total of 198.4 minutes together, they showcased they can be a relied on third pairing. Producing a slim net 0.09 xGoals For Per 60 Minutes, they will look to grow off this chemistry and be more of a defensive focused pair that the team can rely on in slowing a game down or protecting a lead.

Goalies
Both goalies struggled in their own way last season, however one bright spot was Ersson proving he can be an effective tandem goalie, more so as a 1B than a starter. Their overall metrics from last season are not worth mentioning considering how poorly they finished. Although, with more certainty around both Ersson and Fedotov being the two goalies the Flyers carry this season, they should be able to find comfortability and focus in their games. Fedotov only played 3 games last season and will look to transition his success from the KHL to the NHL in his first full season.

Scratches
Expect both Deslauriers and Johnson to see a fair amount of ice time throughout the season. Both are capable bottom tier NHL players who can be effective in their own ways, and most importantly, both provide an invaluable amount of veteran leadership for a young team in transition.

Keys To Success

For the Flyers to exceed expectations this season, several key factors must align:

1. Young Players Taking Big Steps: Matvei Michkov’s adjustment to the NHL is the most exciting storyline of the season. While he’s not expected to dominate right away, if he can find a groove by midseason, it will be an exceptional boost the Flyers offense. Similarly, Tyson Foerster needs to prove he can be a consistent top-six contributor, while Jamie Drysdale and Cam York will need to anchor a blueline that has seen significant changes in recent years.
2. Goaltending Stability: The goaltending situation is one of the most critical aspects of the Flyers season. Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson are set to share the net in a tandem role, and both will need to perform at a high level. If they can consistently provide solid goaltending, it will give the Flyers a chance to stay competitive in more games. However, both goalies are unproven over a full NHL season, so this remains a question mark.
3. Tortorella’s System and Discipline: Under John Tortorella, the Flyers will play disciplined hockey. They won’t be an easy team to play against, especially if they can maintain consistency in their structure. Tortorella’s ability to extract maximum effort from his players will be vital, and if the team buys into his system fully, they could surprise teams throughout the year.

Potential Downfall

The Flyers biggest downfall this season could stem from their lack of proven offensive firepower and uncertainty in goal. While young players like Michkov and Foerster have potential, relying on them to carry the offensive load could lead to struggles, particularly against deeper and more experienced teams. The Flyers lack a true game-breaking forward who can consistently take over games, which might cause scoring droughts during critical stretches of the season, something Flyer’s fans hope Michkov can become.

In addition, the goaltending tandem of Fedotov and Ersson is a major wild card. Neither has significant experience as an NHL starter, and if one or both struggle, it could create a ripple effect throughout the team. Inconsistent goaltending would put extra pressure on the defense and force the Flyers into situations where they need to chase games—something they may not be built to do effectively.

General Manager Daniel Brière will also need to be patient and measured in his decision-making. Last season, the Flyers hesitated to make key moves, and Brière will need to avoid waiting too long to address any pressing issues. If the team falters early on, it may be tempting to rush decisions on player trades or call-ups, which could hinder long-term development.

Future Outlook

While this season may be another step in the rebuild, the Flyers future is undeniably bright. The core of young talent they’ve accumulated over the past few years is promising. Michkov is viewed as a potential superstar who could become the face of the franchise, and his development will be one of the most exciting narratives to follow in the coming seasons. Foerster’s offensive upside and Cam York’s two-way abilities are key pieces for the Flyers rebuild, and Jamie Drysdale’s continued growth as a rover will further solidify the team’s future defensive core.

The Flyers are also positioned well in terms of long-term cap flexibility, which will allow them to make moves when they are closer to contention. If Brière continues to show patience, avoiding hasty trades or signings, the Flyers will have the opportunity to add key pieces down the line without sacrificing their young core.

Additionally, the team’s prospect pipeline remains stocked, and with the likes of Jett Luchanko, Denver Barkey, Jack Berglund, Oliver Bonk, Carter Sotheran, Yegor Zavragin, and Alexei Kolosov. The Flyers have the potential to be one of the most exciting young teams in the league within a few seasons.

Final Thoughts

The Philadelphia Flyers are in a phase of transition and building, which means the 2024-25 season is less about immediate results and more about laying the groundwork for future success. They are likely to finish outside the playoff picture, but that shouldn’t be viewed as a disappointment. This season will be about growth—watching young players like Michkov, Foerster, Drysdale, and York take steps forward in their development and becoming key contributors for years to come. If they show progress and the team remains competitive in games, it will be a successful season in the long-term vision for the Flyers. The future looks bright for the Flyers, but for now, fans should be prepared for a season that is more about learning and growth than contending for the playoffs.